Children of the Flame
by Samoht Nielk
Summary: Magic has returned to modern day London, and with it, all kinds of terrors. Now three people, brought together by a bond older then time, must discover the secret of the Fireborn, and with it the truth to their pasts.
1. The Brood

**Kara Teaford**

_Background:_

A local student at King's College London, Kara hasn't had the easiest life. Throughout her childhood, she was troubled by strange dreams and odd occurrences. Her parents, when they weren't fighting with each other, were hard on her. Most of the housework fell on her as well as the cooking. Her father was out almost nightly drinking with his buddies. Despite all that, she worked her way through high school and even earned a scholarship to King's College London. As soon as she graduated, she left her home for London. She found life as a college student even harder then life with her parents. Even with a scholarship, she still needed money to pay for the expenses of full time school. She did find a job working at a pub near the college, but it was low-paying and unsatisfying work. The "Strange Times" began during the spring semester of her college studies and have continued for almost a year now. Since the times began, she has discovered an amazing ability to move objects from a distance with little more then concentration and some hand movements. She kept this knowledge to herself, practicing and perfecting it for several months. One night, as she got off work and was walking back to the dormitories, she was attacked by a drunkard who intended to have his way with her. Tapping on her new power out of fear, she sent the drunkard flying into high into the air only to have him land at her feet, neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Seeing what she had done, Kara ran back to her dorm room and hid herself away. The next three days she spent in her room suffering from a severe migraine during the days and horrible nightmares when ever she tried to sleep. Since then she hasn't used her powers. As of late, the dreams that troubled her youth have returned with new-found intensity and clarity, disturbing what little sleep she normally got between school and work.

_Personality:_

Kara is a soft spoken youth who has learned to take the verbal abuse of others all in stride. She constantly strives to prove herself in her studies, but that is about the only thing she shows any motivation towards. She approaches her job each night with dread at what the night brings and fears being taken advantage of by the pub's patrons. The only thing she fears more then the patrons is her powers.

**Katia Freefire**

_Background:_

Well known in certain circles as a diligent (sometimes to the point of stubbornness) archeologist, Katia has always felt a connection to the ancient cultures of days long past and myths of times that never could have existed. This is perhaps in part due to the visions of great beasts of legend that have graced her sleep ever since childhood. In school her grades were never top-notch (except in history and literature) despite her being one of the brightest students her schools had ever seen. Her parents encouraged her obsession with history and myth, to the point of buying her books on these subjects as presents. As a child, her favorite places in all of London were the library and the museum. By her freshman year of high school she had already decided her career of choice, an archeologist. For the first time ever, she dedicated herself to her studies (at least enough to get into London University). She graduated high school and moved right on to College. Fortunately, her parents were able to help pay her way through college, and she graduated a year early with a 4.0 GPA. She immediately moved into a job working for the British Museum at a dig site in the heart of Egypt. Her career excelled and she became well known in the historical circles around London. One of the quirks she became most known for is her stubborn desire to always use torches when exploring, never flashlights. When asked about the habit, she simply responds, "Torches are just more reliable for me and more comforting. But what does that matter? Both get the job done right?" When the "Strange Times" began, she was exploring a Mayan ziggurat, deep in the heart of the Amazon. It was there that she had her first encounter with the supernatural. A misstep in the dark ruins had sent Katia tumbling down a staircase, landing in a heap, bruised and bloody, but otherwise okay. It was then that small humanoid shapes emerged from the depths, drawn to the sent of blood. As the creatures advanced on her, her vision blurred. Suddenly, she was outside facing a legion of angry soldiers with shields and pikes. She was also no longer herself, but instead a massive serpentine creature, dark red in color with scales glistening in the sun, a creature that could only be described as a dragon. She opened her maw unleashing a torrent of flames upon the advancing men. As her vision cleared she found herself alone in the ruins, black marks on the walls and two charred bodies lying on the floor before her. It was only after she had returned to London that she truly began to remember her past. She was that dragon from her vision, once long ago…

_Personality:_

Katia has always been one to set a goal and then let nothing stand in her way to achieve it. She doesn't back down from a challenge, though she may find alternate ways around it. She is a bit of a collector at heart, ever since she was a child, and has since built up quite a collection of small statues and trinkets, including a few she's kept from her archeological digs. Her discovery of her ancient heritage has provided a new found direction as she now seeks out her former broodmates.

**Long Shing**

_Background:_

Shing has been training since he was old enough to walk within the walls of a Chinese monastery. He has always had the utmost belief in reincarnation, and often dreamed of what he considered his past lives. He has, at one point or another, been nearly any creature to ever walk the earth. His mentors encouraged him and hailed him as a prodigy, both for his visions of his past lives and his skill in their art. He has since developed his fighting style to near perfection. Recently though, since the beginning of the New Year, Shing's dreams have changed. Instead of dreams of his past lives, he now dreams of ancient beasts known as dragons. These dreams have disturbed him greatly and he left temple in search of peace. His journeys have been guided by an unknown calling that has led him to London. Now in a strange land, barely able to speak the language, Shing seeks to find the answer to the calling that has brought him here.

_Personality:_

Shing is not what most would consider a sociable person. His lack of knowledge of English, is only part of the reason for this. His training has taught him to be reserved and silent most of the time. When he does speak aloud, he makes sure every word counts. He seems to most to be void of humor. He prefers to find non-violent solutions to problems, but won't hesitate to defend someone who can not defend themselves.


	2. Prologue: The Strange Times Have Began

**Prologue: The Strange Times Have Began**

Sometime in early 2001, there was a change in the world. Things began happening that were once thought impossible. Reports of werewolves, vampires, and other such creatures haunt the tabloids and have even started appearing in more respectable newspapers. Occult shops suddenly had a spike in business, as more and more people began to believe in the supernatural.

No one is really sure exactly when or why it happened, but nearly everyone agrees: strange times have arrived in London. At first, many theories spread out throughout the populace. Mind-altering drugs, terrorists, genetic experiments, and many other theories could be heard at every pub in London. The government of course tried to cover it up, unsuccessfully, as they worked to understand what was going on in the world.

Despite the extreme changes that have affected the world as a whole, life in London has changed very little. Sure it's a little less safe outside after dark now and the corner occult shop actually sells potions that actually work, but life still goes on. People still have to pay their taxes, go to work, and the myriad of other mundane tasks that make up our world. Politicians still spend countless hours campaigning, the police force still functions (sometimes), and criminals still run the streets.

Below the surface an uneasy questions still lurk, though. Why, now of all times, has magic returned? What caused the change? Is this just the beginning of something more? What else waits to emerge from legend into our world today? Even now, nearly a year afterwards, these questions still remain unanswered, but for how long?


	3. Chapter One: Unsettling Dreams

**Chapter One: Unsettling Dreams **

_As told by Kara Teaford_

A chill cold ran down my spine. I tried to pull my blanket tighter around me, only to realize there was no blanket. I opened my eyes to find myself alone in an icy cavern. _Where am I_, the thought flew across my mind. I scrambled to my feet, taking care not to slip on the ice. Once I was steady on my feet, I looked around me. Mountains of treasure surrounded me. Gold, jewels, statues, and a million other things filled the icy cavern.

One object in particular caught my attention. It appeared to be nothing more then an ordinary mirror. I looked into it seeing the familiar image of myself in it. My straight black hair framed my small face and brought out my emerald green eyes. My skin was pale from lack of sunlight. Everything was normal, right down to my sweat pants and t-shirt. At least at first it was.

As I stared into the mirror, the features it reflected began to blur and change. _Celestias, _I heard in my head, _the time has come to be reborn!_ My skin paled more until it was as white as the purest snow. My eyes changed from green to blue in a flash as my hair dissolved from my head. My mouth elongated and my skull began to change shape. Horror rose up from deep with in me.

_No_, I thought, _make it stop. MAKE IT STOP!_ With that last thought the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. As it did, the contents of the cave began to swirl around me, as if caught in a tornado. I curled up in the center of the maelstrom and begin sobbing as the many treasures slammed against the walls of the cave. I clutched my thighs to my chest and buried my head in my knees as the steady pounding continued for what seemed like hours.

"Kara, open up. We're going to be late!" My eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. I was no longer in the cavern, but instead in my own dorm room. There was no swirling vortex of treasure. The only banging was from my friend Angela knocking on the door.

"I'm up," I called as I pushed the blanket off of me and got out of bed. I glanced at the clock on my microwave and sighed, just past seven. Another night haunted by nightmares. I flipped the lock and opened the door. There was Angela staring at her watch with an impatient look on her face.

"I'm not up for it today," I said, holding out my tape recorder, "can you take notes for me?"

Angela looked up at me for the first time and gasped. "Kara, you look right awful," she said with concern, "Long night at the pub?"

A faint smile crossed my face, "Not really, I just didn't sleep last night." It was mostly true. What sleep I had gotten had been disturbed by nightmares, a problem that was becoming all too frequent as of late.

"Alright Kara," Angela replied as she took the recorder, "Go take yourself a quick kip and be glad we don't have afternoon classes today. I'll see you later." With that she started down the hall and I closed the door. I leaned my head against it, feeling the cool metal on my forehead. Some sleep would be nice, but I doubted I'd be able to get any.

After a few minutes of leaning against the door, I decided to give a walk a try. I was usually either in class, at work, or studying, so I didn't get out much. Maybe a little exercise would help me clear my head. I grabbed my sneakers and jacket and then headed outside.

Once I was outside, I started walking. I wasn't going anywhere in particular, so I let my feet guide me while I thought about my dreams. After a few hours, my wandering had led me to Hyde Park. As I walked through the park, I felt almost like an outside force was guiding my movements. Finally, I took a seat on a park bench to rest. On the bench next to me was another woman. She had dark red hair and a slightly weathered appearance. Her glasses were slightly dirty around the edges and the jeans she wore had seen a fair amount of wear. The woman looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties.

I was fairly certain I had never met this woman before, but even still; I felt a strange familiarity from her. I couldn't help but to stare at her. She must have felt my stare, because as I did, she turned to look at me. Then our eyes met.

A thousand images flooded my head of a life that was not my own. A childhood with loving parents, a college graduation, and scenes of an unknown desert flashed through my mind. I saw the Pyramids, the Great Wall, and many other archeological sites from around the world, but through _her_ eyes, not with my own. The visions faded as quickly as they had begun, leaving me with only a name, echoing through my mind: _Illura_.

"Seems I finally found you, Celestias," a look of pleasant surprise crossed the woman's face as she spoke.


	4. Chapter Two: Reunion in the Park

**Chapter Two: Reunion in the Park**

_As told by Katia Freefire_

It had been just over four months since I had become aware of my draconic nature. Since that time, I had come to terms with some of my powers and became aware of the karma, the mystical force behind magic. Despite all I had learned, there was something missing from my life, a void that remained in my soul. I knew in my heart I needed to find my broodmates.

I had seen both of them in my dreams and I knew their old names. Celestias, a magnificent drake with scales as white as snow, had been a kind soul, with a devotion to magic almost akin to that of a broodmate. Tanaka, a serpent whose appearance was exotic even for a dragon, was a master shape shifter and would often spend many years at a time in forms other then his own. I, myself, had been Illura, the ruby red serpent, child of fire, and the fiercest fighter of our brood. If I had been reborn into this world, then perhaps they had too. But in those four months I had found no clues, until I met young Kara.

The day had started like any other. I woke up, wrote in my journal, ate breakfast, and showed up to the museum for work. The morning passed uneventfully as I worked on cleaning up some artifacts from a recent excavation. As I cleaned them, I had mentally checked them for karmic energy, but didn't find any. It didn't matter anyway, I already some back at my apartment.

I took my lunch break at a little early and headed for my usual lunch spot, Hyde Park. I arrived a bit before noon and ate my sandwiches at my favorite bench. I wasn't really sure _why_ it was my favorite bench, but I ate lunch here everyday. This day though, something different happened. As I enjoyed the early afternoon weather, a young girl sat down next to me and let out a long sigh. At first I ignored here, but then I felt her staring at me.

I turned to correct her for staring, and our eyes met. Flashes of a neglected childhood, long hours studying, and long nights working at a pub all shot through my head. Then came a memory of a dark night when a drunkard had attempted to rape the poor girl, only to find himself flung straight into the air. I saw all of this in an instance and then there was just a name, a name I had long waited to hear: _Celestias_.

"Seems I finally found you, Celestias," I said, making no attempt to hide the joy I was feeling. My greeting was met only with waves of anxiety and fear. I felt them radiating from her through a bond older then time itself. I understood in an instant, the girl had not yet come to terms with her past. _Do not be afraid,_ I thought to her, sending calming waves through our connection to counter her anxiety.

"How'd you do that?" I heard her response both in my mind and with my ears at the same time, puzzlement beginning to replace the fear.

_It's easy. Just direct your thoughts to me and I will hear them,_ I thought to her.

_Hello?_ I felt her response, timid but there. A smile blossomed on her face as I sent my response, but it didn't last. _Who are you?_ she sent, a bit of the fear returning to her thoughts, _And why did you call me Celestias?_

_Because it is your name, or at least it once was, _I return thought, trying to quell her fears once again. _Have you never had strange dreams of creatures you thought were impossible. Have you never looked through the eyes of one of those creatures and felt whole? _I sent with this thought an image of her as I remembered her; as Celestias, the white drake.

_NO!_ I felt her mental scream like a shockwave, _Those are just bad dreams. I am Kara, Kara Teaford. I am not a monster!_ With that last thought she fainted, slumping over onto me. I tried to shake her awake, but it didn't work.

A worried expression ran across my face. _What am I going to do now?_ I thought to myself. I was sitting on a park bench with, what I knew was my broodsister, unconscious, leaning against me. The only problem was she did not know of her heritage. _My apartment is only a few blocks away_, my brain beginning to operate properly again, _I can take her there until she wakes up_. _And then what? She obviously is horrified at her own existence. Maybe I can explain things when she wakes up. At least as far as I understand them anyway._

With those thoughts, I began to work my way home with her limp form.


	5. Chapter Three: Guiding Spirit

**Chapter Three: Guiding Spirit**

_As told by Long Shing_

A slight grimace crossed my face as the plane began its decent. I did not like flying. Moving without being under my own power was an unpleasant feeling. _I must take control of myself_, I thought taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

"Nervous?" the voice of the young man next to me broke my out of my meditation before it had really begun. I looked over to him. He was an American, and an agreeable one at that. He had seemed to understand my lack of knowledge of the English language, and spoke simply.

"Some," I replied, struggling to phrase my response in the strange tongue, "Flying, agrees with me it doesn't." The young man gave me a knowing nod and started reading his book again. Once again I started my meditation. As I did, the pulling sensation that had led me away from the monastery and onto this wretched plane returned. It was stronger now. I could feel the source of it somewhere within the vast city below.

I had been feeling its pull strongly for the last four moons. It was as if something had awoken and was calling me to it. Strangely, this happened around the same time my visions of my past lives changed into visions of strange beasts that I did not know existed. I still felt the familiar sense of recognition from these beasts as I did when I saw myself in past lives, but the things I saw could not have existed, nor could I have been them. This wavering of faith led me to question many of my masters' teachings. I followed this calling hoping to find something to restore my faith. And the calling had led me to this city: London.

When I was finally able to get off the wretched plane around mid-afternoon, I found myself in strange surroundings. All around me, hundreds of people moved in ordered chaos through the airport terminal. Somehow, I managed to find my bag and get my money changed. The task was not easy with my minimal knowledge of English. While I understood the basics if I was spoken to, I could not read it, nor did I understand the cultural phrases unique to the area.

I finally left the airport and found a local inn. I did not have much money, which limited my choices to a less desirable part of the city. I paid for what, the inn keeper said was a week, and headed up to the room I was given. I carefully put away what few belongings I had brought. When everything was put away, I sat down in the middle of the floor and once again meditated. The calling came again, from the west. I opened my eyes and looked around. Night was beginning to set in.

I decided to go ahead and seek out the calling. I locked my room and began following the calling across town. I passed old buildings and got strange looks, probably because I was still dressed in my robes, as I walked with my eyes half closed. As the night wore on, I encounter less and less people. My wanderings led me between to buildings. A young man stepped out from behind a dumpster as I passed.

"Aight now," he stated in a thick accent, "Yer be 'andin over all your bread and then yer be buggering off." He moved in front of my path of movement. I regarded him curiously. He was dirty and wearing clothes that were of very low quality. I didn't quite understand what he had said, but I thought he was asking for food.

"Apologies," I replied courteously, "Food I have none for you." I gave him a small bow and then tried to move past him.

"Oh a smart arse ay?" he said with a fair amount of contempt that I didn't understand, "Then yer be feeling me blade and I be taking what I want." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a knife. I reacted, drawing upon my training almost unconsciously. Three quick strikes and the man was on the ground. My first had struck his wrist producing a cracking sound, but forcing him to drop the blade. My foot caught him in the stomach for the second, bending him over. A sharp blow to the back knocked the man flat.

I stepped over his whimpering form and refocused on the calling. It was close now, less then a mile away. _Tonight is the night I will have some answers_, I thought as I continued towards the source.


	6. Chapter Four: Reawakening

**Chapter Four: Reawakening**

_As told by Kara Teaford_

I awoke to a soft bed under me. _My first sleep in months that hadn't been disturbed by the foul nightmares_, I thought. _Wait. Wasn't I in the park? Where am I now?_ My eyes snapped open and I set up. I was in a strange apartment, lying in a bed that wasn't mine. The room was decorated with numerous statuettes and figurines, as well as a few pieces that looked like they belonged in a museum. Most, if not all of the statuettes and figurines appeared to be of mythic beasts such as unicorns, griffins, and fairies; and dragons. The entire scene at the park came back to me in an instant and I almost passed out again.

"Good to see you're awake," a woman's voice came from the next room; the voice of the woman from the park. She stuck her head into the room and gave me a sad sort of smile. "I didn't know what to do after you passed out, so I brought you back to my apartment. Would you care for a brew?"

I nodded meekly and followed the woman to her small kitchen area where she poured two cups of tea. "Thank you," I said as I picked up the cup. I sipped on the tea for a moment before continuing, "For the brew as well for taking care of me after I passed out."

"Think nothing of it mate," she replied in a soft voice, "Besides I felt responsible for you passing out. I shouldn't have pushed the issue." For a few moments we both sat silently and sipped the tea. I took the time to look around a bit more. The rest of the apartment was decorated in much the same way as the bedroom. It had an almost cluttered appearance to it.

After several minutes I thought to say something then stopped. _Does this still work? _I sent her mentally as she had shown me in the park. The smile that graced her face told me she had heard me. I took a deep breath and sent her another message, _What are we?_

It took a moment for her to respond, but then she responded, _We, simply put, are dragons. I don't remember all the details yet, but in a past life, long ago, we were the greatest beasts of legend. This was many, many years ago, well before recorded history I believe. During that time, when we were dragons, magic existed in the world, much like it has begun to return now. We called it Karma and it's what sustained us. Now, it seems we have been reborn in human bodies, but still retaining our draconic soul, and some of our powers._

It took me a moment to understand the full importance of what she had said, and a while longer before I was calm enough to respond. While what she told me scared me on one level, on another, deeper level, I knew it was true. I began to piece together my dreams and my new found telekinetic powers and things began making sense. I had heard the name _Celestias_ many times in my dreams and now I knew why. It was my name. Or at least once it had been. I even remembered two other names from my dreams. We had once been a family. No not a family, something closer. We had been a brood. _Illura, where is Tanaka? _I asked her, finally understanding.

_I don't know. I only became aware of my heritage a few months ago. Since then I have been searching for the two of you._ Her reply was filled with a deep sadness, and yet at the same time, an overwhelming joy. Out loud, she said, "By the way, you can call me Katia, if you would rather."

"Okay Katia, I'm Kara." I smiled. _But in all honesty I think prefer talking to you like this. _

_Agreed._ We both burst out laughing. We spent the next half-hour or so sharing stories of our dreams, piecing together the facts as best we could. Our conversation was interrupted by the chiming of a clock in the other room. Twelve chimes later, I realized I was four hours late for work.

_May I use your phone? _I asked Katia.


End file.
